Ghetto Palms: Jahdan Blakkamoore / 77Klash

It’s been a long, long time coming…but y’all knew a Klash was gon’ come. Or more accurately a Klash and Jahdan, because it would be criminal to overlook Klash’s partner in crime, he of the coffee in a thermos-like niceness on the singjay stylings. Friends of the column and spiritual godfathers of 2000Tone, 77Klash and J. Blakkamoore have been podcasted, refixed, Dutty Artzed, Gen F’d up and namechecked, but the two most prolific and influential Ghetto Palmists on my home planet of Brooklyn have yet to get a palm of their own. And that is all going to come to a clashing halt right now.

First up is a quick blend on the Payola riddim, the original beat from Jahdan’s “Go Round Payola,” which Matt Shadetek included in tropical rave form (the “Go Round Haters” remix) in his guest palmcast. Several white label remixes have cropped up on the beat, making a sort of unofficial riddim run. On one hand, this is long overdue since the Jahdan track is from the “We Are Raiders” EP that’s been available since last summer, and Giz and Jahdan have been doing their ras-pective things since ever back when, at least since the Scallawah riddim and the debut of Noble Society. On the other, Klash and JD tunes are like Chappelle nuts in the sense that they are always right on motherfuckin time, and if anything, this seems to be the moment. Diplo and Switch just featured Jahdan on the Major Lazer project and Klash has been seen controlling the mic and throwing toy lasers at hipsters in the crowd on their tour dates. Meanwhile the Dutty Artz crew just announced that Jahdan’s full length Buzzrock Warrior LP will be out in October through Gold Dust media. The latest proof of their unstoppability is a joint freestyle on Boi1da’s beat from Drake’s “Best I Ever Had” and two new 45s on Peter Wade’s Reggae Got Soul riddim (a beast in it’s own right, check the versions from legend Sugar Minnott and Izza Kizza. I didn’t include the Spanish version form Don Rey but this may be the only riddim I’ve reviewed that’s been voiced in three languages—more if you count patois and Kizzle as separate languages.) If all that is not enough, consider this: dude’s last name is Blakkamoore.